For That Second
by Abah
Summary: (Oneshot) Some fights are made to break apart. Some arguments are made to repair things. But this... will ruin everything they stood for.


Late February night for Angela and Jack meant something bad. For over all these years, building and rebuilding their broken relationship seems all in vain and nothing's worthed. Their fight is the fiercest of all fights man ever experienced. Angela and him always arguing with each other, whether it's all about their relationship or even the smallest thing of their life… buying the groceries. One night, they drove together along the Stelvio Pass and stopped at one water source to have a little rest.

"Jack, shouldn't you build the campfire?" She asked, with her hands on her waist.

"I'm still tired to do anything tonight." He replied, laying down on the hood of the car, watching the skies above him. "If you're not acting like a jerk, it would be the most romantic camping in our life."

"Man up, Jack!" Angela shouted at him in anger. "Are you a ten-years-old child? Remember, you are fifty-five-years-old! Look at your bleached hairs!" She raged, pointing and playing with his greyed-out hair in annoyance.

"If you want something from me, ask it politely! Remember, you're not a child too, right?" He replied, backfiring to Angela's rage. "You _are_ a thirty-seven-years-old doctor! A nanobiologist, with a degree!"

"You are ex-United States Army! Did the Army taught you how to be a child?!" She raged, slapped Jack so hard to the point where he fell off from the car's hood.

"Okay, okay! I'll do the campfire, and you'll do the tents." He surrendered, not wanting to deal with this problem anymore and don't want to hurt Angela.

The night becomes more silent and darker as they didn't spill out their words or ask anything about them. As the campfire's dim light surrounding them and protecting them from any wild beasts, they sat down face to face. Jack exhaling an enormous amount of breath slowly in a pattern that Angela knows very well. He is tired, physically and mentally. He bowed down his head and stare blankly at the fire in front of him, while Angela facing her back to him as she is still mad about them being so childish in a place where tavern or lodging is scarce, and it's still a long way to the nearby city of Davos. The skies are full of stars and so romantic, the cold breeze of the Alps soothes their souls, and even with the campfire lit in between them, there's still a forest fire occurring in their deepest depth of their hearts. Jack stood up and stretching his back and went to the car's back seat.

"I know you're cold, let me put this jacket on…" Jack stopped.

"No, thanks. I'm not that cold. I appreciate your willingness, but no." Angela replied, not looking at him and still thinks that he's still rude to her, regardless of bringing her his jacket to ensure that she didn't shiver throughout the night.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll leave my coat near the campfire, should you need something to cover you from this cold breeze, it's there." He said, entering the car and slept in the back seat – in sadness. " _Guten Nacht_ , Angela."

As Jack began to shut his eyes off, Angela took the coat and wore it quickly, she couldn't withstand the cold breeze of the Alps as the night getting darker. She opened the trunk and picked up one set of bedroll, lay it down near the campfire and went to sleep, sobbing and try not to unleash her tears as she tries to reach Jack's right hand. To let him know that she still cares about him, and he probably didn't have much time to live any longer. It seems to reach his hands requires a great pain, Angela decided to not doing it and went to rest anyways.

The smell, the warmness of the coat…

Reminds her their happier days.

 _Reminds her of the older days of Jack_.

She couldn't sleep that night, wondering and thinking, asking and answering all the questions that remain inside her about Jack. She watched the old wolf sinking deeper to his dreams, and in all of the sudden… he woke up.

"Arrgghh!" Jack growled. "It's just a dream, Jack. It's just a dream." He panted and slowly sweat covers his face. He then walks to the nearest water source and washes his face with it. It's frigid, but at least he could think clear after waking up from a nightmare. Angela knows that he'll burst into anger and blame her for their relationship, instead of trying to fix it together.

"Angela…" He said, trying to wake Angela up. "I know this sounds bad for us both, but could you wake up for a second?" He asked, shaking her shoulder to wake her up.

"I can't sleep, Jack," Angela replied. "I… I… I keep thinking about you for the last three hours." She confessed. "Worrying about something that I shouldn't worry and let you take care of it."

Jack sat down beside her, calming and soothing her body. "Don't overthink something you shouldn't overthink, Angela." He hugged Angela, her body is warm and soft, every hug means so much for him… and Angela.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"Look, the stars is shining bright. Just like your eyes." Jack cooed her.

"Don't even start." She smiled, giggled, and grabbing Jack's hands from the back of her neck to stop caressing her.

"I miss the older days of us." They chorused. "We shouldn't say that since we still hate each other." They chorused even more.

They turned away and blushed, nothing comes out after that awkward moment.

 _Nothing could save their relationship_.

One day, when they drive for Davos, Angela opened the windshield and put her head out in the open, with tears rolling down from her eyes, she cried silently.

"For that second… for that arguing… I still love you."

Trace of memories began to swarm her, telling her that she needs to let go of Jack. No matter how deep her love to Jack, doesn't matter how hard she tried to fix it… it always looks like glass. Looks sturdy, but fragile. Just like her relationship with Jack. Once broken, you can fix it, but it will not be the same as before.


End file.
